Four vintage Sam Cooke albums have been converted to Dolby Atmos audio format for the first time ever.
You can now stream Ain’t That Good News (1964) and Sam Cooke at the Copa (1964), respectively his final studio album and final live album issued before his untimely passing in December of that year as well as the compilations Keep Movin’ On (2001) and Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 (2003). All four sets are available simultaneously on Apple Music, TIDAL and Amazon Music.
“The newly remixed albums sound amazing in Dolby Spatial Audio,” says Nicole Cooke-Johnson, granddaughter of Sam Cooke. “We encourage all of Sam’s fans to experience the music as it should be heard, and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we do.”
Released in March 1964, Ain’t That Good News is split evenly between up-tempo songs and soulful ballads, and introduced the world to the Civil Rights Movement anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come,” recorded the previous month. During the recording of the traditional Appalachian ballad “The Riddle Song,” it has been reported that Cooke cried while singing the line “I gave my love a baby with no crying,” having lost his son Vincent in a drowning accident in 1963.
Recorded live in July 1964 at the Copacabana in New York City and released that October, Sam Cooke at the Copa is notable for documenting his triumphant return to the most prestigious club in the nation six years after his underwhelming first appearance. In addition to his own hits and a cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” the material Cooke chose for the predominantly white audience leaned heavily towards standards and showtunes. These included “The Best Things In Life Are Free” (from the 1927 musical Good News), “Try a Little Tenderness” (originally recorded in 1932 by the Ray Noble Orchestra and later famously covered by Otis Redding in 1966), and Pete Seeger and Lee Hays’ folk staple “If I Had a Hammer.”
Keep Movin’ On serves as an overview of the last two years of Sam Cooke’s career, and features two tracks that had been previously unreleased – a later version of “I’m Just a Country Boy” (written by Fred Hellerman and Marshall Barer, and first recorded by Harry Belafonte in 1954) and the Cooke-penned title track, both recorded by Cooke in 1963. At 31 tracks, Portrait of a Legendpresents the full scope of Cooke as a recording artist, going back to “Jesus Gave Me Water” from his first ever session with the Soul Stirrers in 1951. Pop hits such as “Bring It On Home To Me,” “Shake” and his Billboard R&B Number One “I’ll Come Running Back to You” illustrate his evolution as an artist before his tragic death in 1964 at the age of 33.
Sam Cooke’s Dolby Atmos releases July 2024
Sam Cooke – Ain’t That Good News tracklist
1. Ain’t That Good News
2. Meet Me At Mary’s Place
3. Good Times
4. Rome (Wasn’t Built In A Day)
5. Another Saturday Night
6. Tennessee Waltz
7. A Change Is Gonna Come
8. Falling In Love
9. Home (When Shadows Fall)
10. Sittin’ In The Sun
11. There’ll Be No Second Time
12. The Riddle Song
Sam Cooke – Sam Cooke At The Copa tracklist
1. Opening Introduction
2. The Best Things In Life Are Free
3. Bill Bailey
4. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
5. Frankie And Johnny
6. Try A Little Tenderness / (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons / You Send Me
7. If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song)
8. When I Fall In Love
9. Twistin’ The Night Away
10. Band Introductions
11. This Little Light Of Mine
12. Blowin’ In The Wind
13. Tennessee Waltz
Sam Cooke – Keep Movin’ On tracklist
1. (Ain’t That) Good News
2. Rome (Wasn’t Built In A Day)
3. Meet Me At Mary’s Place
4. Basin Street Blues
5. Cousin Of Mine
6. Tennessee Waltz
7. Falling In Love
8. When A Boy Falls In Love
9. Good Times
10. Shake
11. Yeah Man
12. It’s Got The Whole World Shakin’
13. The Riddle Song
14. I’m Just A Country Boy
15. Try A Little Love
16. There’ll Be No Second Time
17. Another Saturday Night
18. Sugar Dumpling
19. That’s Where It’s At
20. You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You
21. (Somebody) Ease My Troublin’ Mind
22. A Change Is Gonna Come
23. Keep Movin’ On
Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 tracklist
1. Touch The Hem Of His Garment
2. Lovable
3. You Send Me
4. Only Sixteen
5. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
6. Just For You
7. Win Your Love For Me
8. Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha
9. I’ll Come Running Back To You
10. You Were Made For Me
11. Sad Mood
12. Cupid
13. (What A) Wonderful World
14. Chain Gang
15. Summertime
16. Little Red Rooster
17. Bring It On Home To Me
18. Nothing Can Change This Love
19. Sugar Dumpling
20. Ain’t That Good News
21. Meet Me At Mary’s Place
22. Twistin’ The Night Away
23. Shake
24. Tennessee Waltz
25. Another Saturday Night
26. Good Times
27. Having A Party
28. That’s Where It’s At
29. A Change Is Gonna Come
30. Jesus Gave Me Water
31. Soul (Hidden Track)
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